Do the Poor Deserve Less than Surfers? An Essay for the Special Issue on Vulnerable Consumers.

In his seminal work on an unconditional basic income for
each citizen, Philippe Van Parijs provides a new paradigm to
facilitate a discussion on the morality (or lack there of) inherent
within our global distribution system of goods and services.
He also (implicitly) challenges the field to consider the
impact of greater exchange parity upon our material world
and the quality of life afforded our most vulnerable consumers.
After briefly presenting his approach, the work of John
Rawls on distributive justice and this author’s own research
on consumption adequacy is integrated into this perspective
to form a powerful model for policy makers.